Feed-trough



(No Model.)

W. S. WITTEN. FEED TROUGH.

N6. 667,466. Patented M6r.31,1696.

ai! gi A UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VILLIAM S. "WITTEN, OF SOUTH OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

FEED-TROUGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,466, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed January 27,1896. Serial llo. 576,972. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, VLLIAM S. VITTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding-'l`roughs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in feeding-troughs, and especially to a corn or other feeding device for use especially at stock-yards for feeding swine, it being` held to the side of the pen or pens, means being provided for measuring the corn, and slides at the bottom of each compartment, which may be all locked shut and released from a locked relation by means to be hereinafter more fully described.

A further. aim of my invention resides in the provision of bins in one box, which is provided with a suitable hinged cover, and a series of slides at the bottom portion of each bin, and an automatically-operated indicator whereby an empty or a full bin is indicated by the position of the pointer connected with means for operating the same contained within each bin. I provide, further, a shaft,which is journaled to the under side of the trough and has attached to its length, at locations opposite each bin, a lever, which, when lock ing a slide shut, is seated in a recess which is covered by a swinging strip or door hinged to the side of the trough.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists, further, in the novel construction, combination, and adaptation of the parts, as will 'be hereinafter more fully described, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I clearly illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved trough. Fig. 2 isatop plan view with the cover open. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view through the center of one of the com partments of Jthe trough. Fig. t is a detail View showing the indicating positions of the indicator. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a part of the compartments. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of one of the slides; Fig. 7, an enlarged detail view of the indicating mechanism.

Reference now being had to ,the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a trough divided into a series of compartments by the partitions B, and O is a cover to the trough. The compartments of the trough, which may vary in size and shape to hold various quantities of feed, are each provided with a slide D, which works between cleats d on the partition-walls. Each slide has a recess E in its upper edge. Pivoted so as to work vertically in the elongated aperture F is the member G, having the weighted upper end G and the pin II at the contracted end, which pin engages in the recess Ewhen the slide is closed. The post J, on which the said member G is carried, is j ournaled in the front wall of the trough, and extending outside carries the indicator K, which, when the compartment is full, points in the direction at right angles to the length of the bin or toward the word Fulk as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings. When the slide D is drawn out and the contents of the compartment allowed to fall out by gravity, the member G, having its upper end weighted, will tilt over to one side, and the indicator will assume the position indicated by the short dotted line in Fig. 4 and the weighted member will assume the direction indicated by the longer dotted line in the same figure of the drawings.

Fastened to each rear lower corner of the trough is a journal-bearing L, in which a shaft M is journaled, and securely fastened to the said shaft, at locations opposite each compartment, are the arms or levers N, which are adapted to be seated in recesses, one in the edge of each slide, as seen at CW, to lock the slides in place. Secured to the outer end of the said shaft is a crank R, and at any convenient location of its length is attached the rope S, which runs over the pulley T, journaled on a stub-shaft held to the end of the trough, and WV is a weight attached to the end of the said rope, which holds thearms or IOO levers N against the ends of the slides and locks them shut.

The hinged door or strip V, carried on the rear side of the trough, hangs by gravity over the ends of the slides, and may be provided with any suitable locking means to prevent the shaft M from being turned.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"

1. A feeding-trough having a series of oompartments, slides Working between cleats at the bottom of each compartment, combined with a shaft journaled at the rear side of the trough and provided with levers one of which engages each slide andmeans for turning the said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

2. A feeding-trough haviuga series of compartments, each having a slidev at its bottom, combined with a shaft j ournaled to the trough, the levers carried on the saidy shaft, one opposite each compartment, and adapted to rest in a recess at the rcar end of the slide, a crank keyed to the end of the shaft and a pulley over Which a cord, having a Weight att-ached to its end, Works, and the hinged strip adapted to be locked over the rear ends of the slides, substantially as shown and described.

3. In combination with a feeding-trough having a slide, provided with a recess in its front upper edge, held to the .bottom of the trough, an indicator consisting of a member G being vertically movable on a stub-shaft .I pivoted in an aperture in the Wall of the trough, the upper end of the said member G being Weighted, its lower end designed to rest in the recess in the forward end of the slide, and the pointer carried on the outer end of the said stub-shaft, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. WITTEN. lVitnesses EPEs Conv,

O. NELSON. 

